Here is the story behind this famous photo of Elvis Presley and Pres. Richard Nixon
Rock ‘n Roll icon Elvis Presley and US President Richard Nixon had a photo together and there is a unique story behind this.
There is nothing unusual when a president of a country would have a photo with a celebrity. However, this is not the case when it comes to the meeting that happened between Elvis and Pres. Nixon.
Based on the article in Mental Floss, the King of Rock and Roll received death threats which the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) deemed credible in 1970. This was the reason why during his shows, he began taking the stage with multiple firearms on his person.
In that year, Elvis Presley also spent $100,000 on Christmas gifts. He purchased 10 cars and 32 handguns.
The singer “arranged” a meeting with President Nixon during his impromptu trip to Washington DC. In reality, Elvis came to the White House unannounced. He wanted to have a badge from the Federal Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs even though he already collected many police badges.
This badge that Elvis really wanted to have does not give him any special authority or power. However, his wife Priscilla stated in his autobiography that, “The narc badge represented some kind of ultimate power to him.” She said that her husband believed that “he could legally enter any country both wearing guns and carrying any drugs he wished.”
It was said that Nixon was thinking that through Elvis Presley’s rising popularity, meeting the singer would help him reach out to young people. It is because the president was battling against countercultural forces embodied by the hippy movement.
The President told his advisor to give Elvis the badge that he had been wanting to have towards the end of their meeting. However, Secret Service agent Clint Hill later noted that the badge given to the King of Rock and Roll was just an honorary badge, and the latter thought he held a special power because of that.
Other famous photos with amazing stories behind them were the Einstein Tongue Photo, The Blue Marble, and the Princess Diana-John Travolta Photo.